More than 400,000 unregistered Afghan refugees are facing possible deportation from Pakistan after a deadline for them to register expires on June 30.
Pakistani officials have said that they can no longer also carry the burden of an additional 400,000 undocumented Afghans in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Recently the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan's semi-autonomous region Kheybar Pakhtunkhuwa have been given one month to either leave the country or they risk facing detention.
Some Afghan refugees currently staying in the Kheybar Pakhtunkhuwa refugee camp raised their concerns about the issue, asking the government of Afghanistan to pay serious attention in order to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Spokesman Isalmuddin Jorat said that the end of deadline set by Afghanistan and Pakistan does not mean to send down Afghan refugees compulsory.
"One month deadline was not to return immigrations, one month meant to clear some solution against unregistered immigrations and we still not sure about registration of one million Afghan immigrations in Pakistan."
After the end deadline, Pakistan has not declared its position against this issue, he said.
The Government of Pakistan, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Afghanistan have already signed an agreement to extend the stay of 1.7 million registered Afghan refugees residing in 42 camps and urban areas in Pakistan until December 31, 2012.
Pakistan has been sheltering the largest Afghan refugee population since the early 1980s. Officials said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, a total of 1.2 million Afghans, including 400,000 "illegals", live.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has voiced its concern over human rights violations in Pakistan's tribal region.(TOLO)
Pakistani officials have said that they can no longer also carry the burden of an additional 400,000 undocumented Afghans in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Recently the Afghan refugees living in Pakistan's semi-autonomous region Kheybar Pakhtunkhuwa have been given one month to either leave the country or they risk facing detention.
Some Afghan refugees currently staying in the Kheybar Pakhtunkhuwa refugee camp raised their concerns about the issue, asking the government of Afghanistan to pay serious attention in order to solve the problem.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Spokesman Isalmuddin Jorat said that the end of deadline set by Afghanistan and Pakistan does not mean to send down Afghan refugees compulsory.
"One month deadline was not to return immigrations, one month meant to clear some solution against unregistered immigrations and we still not sure about registration of one million Afghan immigrations in Pakistan."
After the end deadline, Pakistan has not declared its position against this issue, he said.
The Government of Pakistan, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and Afghanistan have already signed an agreement to extend the stay of 1.7 million registered Afghan refugees residing in 42 camps and urban areas in Pakistan until December 31, 2012.
Pakistan has been sheltering the largest Afghan refugee population since the early 1980s. Officials said that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa alone, a total of 1.2 million Afghans, including 400,000 "illegals", live.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International has voiced its concern over human rights violations in Pakistan's tribal region.(TOLO)
Source : Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), International Service
